1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to fluid detection and, in particular, a conductive fluid detection apparatus and kit, and a method of installation thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
Fluid detectors are often used to detect flood conditions, such as when water or other electrically conductive fluid has flooded, leaked or spilled onto a floor or other similar surface. Conventional fluid detectors detect electrically conductive fluid by sensing an electrical current between two electrical terminals in contact with the conductive fluid.
Some conventional detectors, including battery powered mobile units, are placed or mounted on top of the floor upon which conductive fluid is to be detected. Placing or mounting a device on top of the floor, however, takes up floor space and creates a safety hazard to a person walking on the floor, for example. Safety concerns restrict the locations available for placing or mounting such conventional fluid detectors. a fluid detector placed or mounted on top of a floor may be unsightly and may damage the floor, such as by scraping the top surface of the floor. Furthermore, battery-powered units may fail unless their batteries are replaced or recharged regularly.
Some conventional detectors include pairs of wires arranged to form a mesh of such pairs, with each pair being pinned or nailed directly to the top surface of the floor. The pairs of wires each act as a pair of terminals for detecting electrically conductive fluid therebetween. However, the pins or nails used to install the mesh of wires damage the floor and may be unsightly. The wires are exposed and thus are susceptible to being damaged or broken by people walking on the floor and rodents gnawing at the wires, for example.
Some conventional detectors have the size and shape of a tile for incorporation into a tile floor. However, such a size and shape may fit only a small fraction of tile floors, given the wide variety of sizes and shapes of tiles available for use in tile floors. Furthermore, such detectors are limited to tile floors and a detector must be customized if it is to match the color and pattern of a distinctly designed tile floor. Even if the detector is so customized, the detector may still be obtrusive and unsightly.